Preparing for a Port State Control (PSC) inspection means understanding how a vessel’s condition, history and trading pattern intersect with the inspection priorities of its next port. Exposure varies between ports and PSC regimes, making it important for ship and shore teams to understand where closer attention may be needed.
That preparation also depends on work carried out long before arrival: maintaining equipment, developing crew knowledge and applying lessons from previous inspections. By analysing data and turning them into reliable, contextual and actionable insight, risk intelligence can help teams focus their attention, with company procedures and professional judgement guiding how they act on it.
For Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement Inc., bringing these elements together is central to improving PSC performance across its active fleet of 33 dry bulk vessels. The company combines crew assessment, technical preparation and fleet-wide learning with RightShip’s PSC RiskIQ to help identify potential exposure earlier and prepare accordingly.
Readiness Starts Before Joining The Vessel
The company set out to improve consistency in how vessels across its fleet prepare for PSC inspections. Different ports and inspection regimes bring different risk profiles, while developing practical knowledge, familiarity with company procedures and onboard safety culture takes sustained effort.
“We treat PSC performance as a continuous ship-and-shore process rather than something that starts shortly before an inspection”
says Capt. Andreas Togantzis, HSQE & Marine Manager at Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement Inc.
One part of that process is a rank-specific pre-joining assessment being implemented for all officers and crew. It assesses their familiarity with the company’s Safety Management System (SMS), procedures and responsibilities relevant to their rank, helping establish a stronger understanding of expectations before they step aboard.
Once onboard, vessel teams follow company PSC procedures and checklists, supported by shore personnel who review inspection trends, recurring deficiencies and individual vessel exposure. Inspection findings inform reviews of planned maintenance instructions and SMS procedures, while lessons are shared transparently across the fleet.
This creates a continuing connection between inspection experience, company guidance and the preparation of crews and vessels.
Understanding The Exposure Ahead
Within this wider approach, Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement Inc uses PSC RiskIQ to make preparation more focused on the vessel and its upcoming ports.
The team uses PSC RiskIQ information on a port-by-port and vessel-by-vessel basis, alongside its own SMS procedures, planned maintenance requirements and PSC checklists.
“PSC RiskIQ helps us better understand that exposure in advance and allows both vessel and shore teams to focus preparation more effectively”
- Capt. Andreas Togantzis explains
Information from the tool and relevant checklists is disseminated throughout the fleet, so Masters, Chief Engineers and shore personnel can work from the same understanding of potential exposure. That shared view helps teams direct attention towards areas that may warrant closer preparation.
The approach is particularly relevant in trading areas such as Australia and China, where the company reports significant PSC exposure. Australia represents a substantial part of the fleet’s trading pattern. For China calls, the company has also introduced third-party pre-PSC inspections during discharge operations as an additional preventive measure.
PSC RiskIQ provides another layer of intelligence within this preparation framework. Vessel and shore teams bring that information together with company requirements and their operational knowledge to guide their work.
Progress Across A Broader Programme
In his September 2026 update, Andreas reported that Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement Inc.’s PSC Deficiency Performance Index had improved from approximately 2.40 in 2025 to 1.4 in 2026 to date. The company had also recorded zero PSC detentions in 2026 to date, compared with four during the full year of 2025.
The company sees these as encouraging indications that its approach is moving performance in the right direction. The improvement reflects a coordinated programme across the company rather than any single initiative.
That programme brings together stronger vessel preparation, continuous review of maintenance and SMS requirements, fleet-wide learning and greater ship-and-shore involvement. Pre-joining assessments, targeted third-party inspections and quarterly management reviews also form part of the effort. Within this wider approach, PSC RiskIQ plays a clear role in helping teams understand potential exposure and prepare more effectively.
“For us, PSC RiskIQ has been assisting our Seafarers and Office Staff to understand potential exposure earlier and make preparation more focused and risk-based”
- says Capt. Andreas Togantzis
The value of the intelligence lies in how teams incorporate it into this work: understanding potential exposure earlier, focusing preparation and maintaining a shared risk picture between vessel and office.
Learning From Every Inspection
Alpha Bulkers’ internal objective remains a fleet average below 1.0 deficiency per PSC inspection. Performance is improving, but the company recognises that it has further to go.
Its priorities are to continue developing crew competence, strengthening technical readiness and using inspection experience to improve company procedures. PSC RiskIQ will remain part of that process, supporting assessment of potential exposure before vessels arrive at their next port.
“Our objective is not simply to achieve a temporary improvement in statistics, but to build a more consistent level of readiness, knowledge and awareness across the fleet. PSC RiskIQ is one of the tools that can support us in achieving that objective”
- says Capt. Andreas Togantzis
For Alpha Bulkers Shipmanagement Inc., each inspection provides knowledge that can strengthen preparation for the next port call. By bringing that learning together with earlier visibility of potential exposure, the company is building on its progress while continuing to raise the level of readiness across its fleet.
PSC Inspection findings and persistent detention risk is not just a compliance issue, but a commercial risk:
Give your team a clearer view of potential PSC detention exposure with RightShip’s PSC RiskIQ. Use vessel- and port-specific risk intelligence to focus preparation, prioritise attention and support more informed decisions across ship and shore.
Approximately 10,000 vessels now have access to PSC RiskIQ to help prepare for and manage port calls. Over a one-year period, customers actively using PSC RiskIQ recorded 18% fewer deficiencies and 12% fewer detentions compared with industry.